


BroTP

by AngelAxexinf



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, the clone wars
Genre: Asexual, Asexy April, Brotp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-30
Updated: 2015-04-29
Packaged: 2018-03-26 10:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3847672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelAxexinf/pseuds/AngelAxexinf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I decided I'd do something for Asexy April, which brings awareness to asexuality (the lack of sexual attraction). You can look up more about it on AvenWiki.</p>
<p>Cord is canonically asexual, while Ridge is grey-ace, meaning he rarely experiences sexual attraction. And just to add: Marik is bi/pan and Kiki is pan.</p></blockquote>





	BroTP

"I don't know…"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean I _don't know_."

Cord sits back in his chair, leveling a steady gaze at Ridge, who sits across from him. "Try to describe what you feel, then," he says. The bright medical bay lights shine down on the pair as the medic tries his best to figure out what had been bothering Ridge.

Ridge's face shows growing signs of discomfort. "That's kinda the problem, Cord…" Ridge huffs and runs agitated fingers through his red-streaked mohawk, a sign which Cord has learned means he's uncomfortable or embarrassed. "I don't think I really _feel_ anything."

"Meaning?"

Ridge groans, squeezing his hands into fists in his lap. He keeps his eyes on anything but Cord. He focuses on the angularness of the beds, the walls, and the doors that lead to other, larger parts that he'd never seen before. Everything is a varying shade of grey or blue-tinged.

The medbay falls silent for a few moments, but the chair squeaks under Ridge's weight.

"Ridge." Cord tips his head slightly to try and meet Ridge's eyes. It only barely works. "Describe your problem as best you can. I cannot help you unless I know what is bothering you."

Ridge purses his lips, the piercing under his lip sticking out a bit. "I was hanging out with my friends yesterday and we were just talking," he starts, "And they kept saying 'You know that feeling when you see a hot girl and it's been a while?' and I have no clue what they're talking about." This last part Ridge rushes out, speaking more to his lap than to Cord. It takes a moment for Cord to realize he's blushing. "What do they mean by that? By 'feeling'? I'm not really sure I know…" He could figure what "it's been a while" meant.

Cord, never one for expressing his thoughts with his face, remains almost eerily still, legs crossed and examining the other clone. If Ridge didn't know him so well, he'd say Cord had either frozen or was completely zoned out—still, the lack of reaction was beginning to bother him. Not even a blink. He shifts again, and the chair creaks in complaint.

"You know what attraction is, yes?" Cord asks. One hand strokes his chin and he looks at Ridge almost curiously.

Okay, not zoned out or frozen—mainly curious. Ridge nods. "Yeah, and how there are different types, right?"

It's Cord's turn to nod. "Now, Ridge, there is romantic and sexual attraction."

Ridge cuts him off. "T-There's…Um, Cord?" His fingers run through his hair again. Ridge's haircut isn't what it was when they started their conversation. "I'm not sure if I actually feel one of those…" He at least wasn't entirely sure what one of them felt like. He looks at Cord for affirmation, as if he'd actually be able to give it. His lips turn down, upset.

"That's completely normal, Ridge." Cord leans close enough to rest a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to feel any sexual attraction to anyone—"

"But I have a girlfriend—you know—and we've been dating for a while now, a-and…" Ridge stumbles over his words. "I-It's not like I don't love her or anything, I just…don't _feel_ that way about her. I don't feel like I want to sleep with her." He isn't even sure if he'd be able to bring himself to, either.

"Ridge, that's alright. It is natural."

"Are you sure?" His face is creased with worry. Cord remembers previous conversations with Ridge, where the younger clone's normal speech habit was to speak in large chunks and drop off into silence for a bit. "B-Because _I'm_ not even sure, Cord. I tried to tell them I wasn't sure what they were talking about and they kept trying to explain it to me, but I still didn't even…" Ridge makes a noise caught between an exasperated sigh and an annoyed growl.

"But you have an inkling of an idea?" Cord tips his head another way, a barely noticeable move. His pale blue and brown eyes shine in the florescent lighting of the medbay. "You said you weren't sure what they were talking about."

For a third time, Ridge's fingers run through his hair—although this time, they grab the ends near his nose and hang there for a moment. He groans and huffs out a sigh again, frustrated not only with Cord's constant questions but with himself. "The sexual attraction thing. I think I might've…felt it once, maybe. One of them said it's where you're 'horny'…? I just don't know—" Ridge gives a shout of frustration and turns his eyes upward, sagging into his seat.

Cord proceeds with caution, carefully keeping an eye on the glazed look taking over the edges of Ridge's eyes. "Deep breath, Ridge," he says. "Was this before what happened?"

"What happened" is a funny way to put it. It still triggers memories, no matter how the incident is phrased or tiptoed around or hinted at. For a moment, Ridge has flashbacks to a cold metal bench and hard, cold fingers. He remembers panic and fear, shouting, and then the scorch of scalding water. He remembers shame and embarrassment.

"Yeah…" he answers, not quite able to bring himself to meet Cord's eyes. "Yeah, it was…it was right before. When we were one Rashav."

Cord remembers Rashav. There was a troupe of dancer women that entertained the soldiers while they camped in the forest—even taught a few of them some dance moves. The shinies danced clumsily but eagerly, following every step as best they could over sticks and twigs.

"There was the one dancer, and I sorta felt what they were talking about, I guess," Ridge says, his hand rubbing the back of his head. "Because I remember wanting to _be_ with her, you know? And I went to her place with her. I stayed there a-and…" His face flames into bright crimson. He hunches forward, chin in hand staring stubbornly at the grey floor.

"So you have a vague idea of what your friends were talking about?" Cord steers the conversation back to slightly more neutral territory.

"Shouldn't I know what they're talking about, though? They have all these stories of women they've been with and I sometimes have trouble just _sleeping_ in the same bed with Pelly—"

"That is unrelated, Ridge. You will be able to—"

"I haven't slept with her, Cord!" Ridge cries. He rises with enough force to knock the chair into the bed behind him. "I'm dating her and I don't even feel anything but romantic attraction to her, and you'd think I would considering how I've done it before and I liked it!" If Ridge sees a change on Cord's face, he doesn't note it and keeps going. "But it's been months now and she probably thinks there's something wrong with me and—" He cuts himself off, collapsing into his hard metal seat. His gloved hands cover his face and he remains like that until Cord jars him out of it.

"Ridge," Cord says, the firmness of his voice startling, "there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. It is completely normal not to feel sexual attraction to someone you're close to or not, whether occasionally or not at all—in your case, it is occasional."

Ridge still looks doubtful, a sour scowl lining his face. "C-Could this…could this effect my relationship with Pelly?" he asks. "Since I barely ever feel sexually attracted to her, and when I am, it's really short." He didn't want to lose Pelly. She was one of the few things he looked forward to after battle.

Cord squashes down the little feeling of triumph in his chest. There was always something rewarding about getting someone to explain what it was they believed was wrong with them. This is not the first time he's had this conversation. "No, it shouldn't—unless she is not that accepting of you, Ridge."

Ridge remains silent, lost within his own thoughts. Absently, as if by habit, he pulls his knees up to his chest and rests his heels delicately on the edge of the chair. Absolutely no sexual attraction whatsoever? Except in his case, he _did_ feel it, just very rarely. Ridge wasn't sure if this was something he should rejoice about or feel more confused about. "Are you sure it's normal? That there isn't some wrong or just some kind of puberty thing?" He bloomed late— _very_ late—as a child and was still dealing with the effects.

Cord's eyes soften—they don't quite smile, but they're almost near—and he stands, prompting Ridge to do the same. "I'm like you, Ridge," he says, "but I don't feel sexual attraction at all."

Ridge's eyes widen in surprise. "At all?" So he wasn't the only one? A small part of him—somewhere in his chest, he notes—is overjoyed.

Cord nods. "Yes. It took me a while to figure it out myself, but I was glad I knew. It may be difficult to explain or accept, but it is better for you to know." He gives Ridge a pat on the shoulder. "Do you have any other questions?"

Ridge takes a deep breath. "Will this, um…affect my ability t-to—" Bright pink creeps up onto his cheeks and soon spreads to his entire face. "B-Because I've thought about it and—"

"It won't," Cord says. "You should be fine."

"O-Okay," he stutters dumbly. "Yeah, okay. I, um…" His words stall and he folds his lips in, suddenly nervous. "Thanks, Cord. Thank you." And he hugs the medic—very quick and short, barely even enough time for Cord to give him a stiff pat on the back, but he holds him tight and close. Ridge jumps back and swallows rather visibly. "Thanks again, and I'll, uh, see you at lunch?" he asks. Without waiting for an answer, he turns and rushes out the door.

Cord doesn't quite chuckle—he hasn't laughed in too many months to count—but he forces enough air out of his nostrils and his lips quirk up at the corners just enough for one to say he is actually amused.

**Author's Note:**

> I decided I'd do something for Asexy April, which brings awareness to asexuality (the lack of sexual attraction). You can look up more about it on AvenWiki.
> 
> Cord is canonically asexual, while Ridge is grey-ace, meaning he rarely experiences sexual attraction. And just to add: Marik is bi/pan and Kiki is pan.


End file.
